Ways Human Resources Can Learn from Project Management

Ways Human Resources Can Learn from Project Management

There is a battle for finite resources inside every organization. In fact, according to Plotline Leadership founder Tim Toterhi, in order to secure support for their initiatives, it is not enough for human resource (HR) practitioners to pose a logical business case with a clear return of investment (ROI).

Toterhi adds that they must also demonstrate they can complete the project on time, on budget, and without scope creep or unnecessary risk. In hindsight, having project management skills enhances their credibility with leadership and gives them a common language to use with professionals from across the organization.

This is just one way you—an HR practitioner—can make the most of a project management system. To help us truly grasp the concept and the benefits of it, we have talked to peers from various industries about the ways on how HR can learn from project management. Here are their responses:

It Provides a Faster, More Agile System to Find and Attract Hard-to-Find Skilled Employees

In technology companies, the practice of project management has transformed away from the old ‘waterfall’ method. Project managers used to have detailed project requirements, develop a plan, resources budget, etc., and execute on a months-long or even a multi-year project. While this method is commendable and useful in large physical infrastructure projects like building a bridge or a highway, it is often unsuitable for fast-changing technology projects.

In agile project management, teams react much more rapidly and fluidly to feedback and input from stakeholders. HR today is often stuck in the ‘waterfall’ mode with multiple approvals, codified job descriptions, and many forms to be filled out. In today’s talent market when looking for hard-to-find skills, a more agile approach can be very successful in finding and attracting top qualified professionals to their organizations.

• Javid Muhammedali, Head of Product for Avrio AI

It Streamlines Team Communication to Avoid Logistical Issues

HR is unfortunately usually the department most likely to suffer from a lack of communication, and commonly also inconsistency between individual parties within the team itself; and beyond that, between a party in HR and a worker or manager.

Another common issue is the level of crossover between line manager responsibilities and HR responsibilities (such as approving time off, handling recruitment, and many other things), which can lead to friction and logistical issues too.

Taking a more project management approach to HR and particularly, using a project management approach to the integration and recognition of line managers in HR provision, can help to negate many of these common issues.

Very basic principles of project management such as naming someone with oversight of the entire endeavor, understanding the role of delegation, understanding how collaboration is enabled and assistance provided, and building I the relevant reporting protocols (and all of the other core tenets of project management) can apply very effectively not just to HR, but to more or less any other department or collaborative too.

• John Moss, Chief Executive Officer of English Blinds

It Increases Efficiency to Improve an Organization’s Productivity

In an organization, all the departments and all the working committees are important. Everyone has something up their sleeves to learn from each other. And all this just leads to increasing the efficiency of the working of each department and increases the productivity of the organization.

These are some things that human resource can adapt from project management:

• Project managers are ace delegators. In spite of the fact that they are maybe the main party to a venture’s prosperity, they don’t really make any of the segments of the undertaking.

• Project managers need structure to succeed, and that is the thing that venture administrators give. They set achievements, gatherings, and reveals at standard stretches. These desires help keep everybody on target and make it simpler to see when chance sneaks in. With regards to HR, executing structure can occur in an assortment of ways—clear sets of expectations, customary group-wide municipal centers, formal execution audit measures, etc.

Basically, fruitful project management needs solid help from patrons or senior initiative. HR endeavors can profit by a similar methodology regardless of whether it is revealing another arrangement of guiding principle or organizing another finance cycle, your endeavors flirt with disappointment without purchase from the top. Include initiative in your dynamic, or even better, guarantee HR grabs a chair at the leader group table.

Many project managers utilize a type of venture, board programming to manage their responsibilities. apparatus report improved correspondence, more excellent items, better adherence to timetable and financial plan, and expanded consumer loyalty. HR can also use software for recruitment and selection to ease out the input process and make work processing easier.

– Vipin Chahal, Founder of Return Policy Guide

It Simplifies HR Approach to Give Employees Clear Objectives

Simplicity is at the heart of a quality project management system and human resources approach. By giving employees a clear mission statement and three to eight specific job outcomes for the year, you improve the odds of success. By limiting friction and confusion, your people, like technology, will perform better.

– Brian Robben, Chief Executive Officer of Robben Media
Larry Covert
Editor-in-Chief Larry has worked a decade in finance, for an international bank where he saw before his eyes how his former company invested on almost everything that has something to do with technology and advancement. This inspired him to create the company along with his then newly-formed team of professionals from different fields, different walks of life.